A Word From Leadership

December 4, 2019

A Word From Leadership

Written by: Carrie-Ann Jasper-Yearty
Vice President of People

Jasper Ventures’ vision statement explains the reason behind everything we do: “We are a Christ-centered family of companies creating unparalleled value for our employees, clients, and communities.” The leadership team crafted this vision to define not only who but “why” we are. We know that not everyone’s “why” is the same as ours, and that is certainly acceptable, but it is important that others understand why we exist.

As many of you know, our Dad, Jon Jasper, founded this company and dedicated it to the Lord. So what does this mean? He did not want to create a company simply to offer a service or make money, although those are both valid reasons to start a business. He wanted his company to be unlike others he had worked in or encountered throughout his career. He knew his passion to glorify God through the work he was doing meant he had to run his business differently. God gifted him as a chemical engineer and has given him expertise in the midstream industry, and he chose – and still chooses – to share that gift with others in this industry and company where God has placed him. As his daughter and part of the next generation to join the company (almost 8 years ago), we work hard to ensure we honor his legacy and continue to build on this firm foundation.

We choose to operate this business with an eternal perspective, not separating our business life from our spiritual life, but asking God to use us and help us make an eternal impact on everyone we encounter. We see our work as God’s work, doing whatever we do with all our heart, working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

Last month, I gave a presentation to a group of East Texas business leaders and shared Psalm 24:1 with them: “The earth is the Lord’s, and EVERYTHING in it, the world, and all who live in it;”

The word that kept playing over and over in my head was EVERYTHING. In the context of business, this means our employees, our assets, our balance sheet, the talents we bring to work, the knowledge we possess, and the entrepreneurial spirit we have been given all belong to Him. This verse reminded me that as believers, we exist to glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us….ALL OF IT.

Knowing that we are stewarding God’s resources means that we run our business in a way that may not seem very familiar – and we are thankful for that distinction! The Bible commands us not to conform to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2), so we desire to be a unique workplace. We give generously as we have been given. We desire relationships with those around us. We view our employees through God’s eyes rather than our own, encouraging them to fulfill their God-given potential.

As Vice President of the People, I have the privilege of directing, managing, and overseeing people-related programs and initiatives for all our companies and employees. I have an amazing team that works diligently every day to live out our team’s mission – to build people for God’s purpose.

We strive to support our employees professionally, relationally, personally, and spiritually – coming alongside each person God has placed in our path during every phase of the employee life cycle. This means from the moment a new employee accepts an offer to join our team through the day someone chooses to move onto their next phase. We want to take every opportunity to pour into those God has entrusted to us.

Our heart for our people and our calling to love God and love others comes directly from Matthew 22, when Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…And…you shall love your neighbor… .”(vv. 37-39)

We are thankful for each one of our employees who chooses to share their God-given talents here, and we are honored to serve the amazing team at Jasper Ventures.